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Teacher Accused of Locking Autistic Child in Closet

Submitted by Landon Bryce on Wed, 06/27/2012 - 05:50
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Special education teacher Sharon Vaninger is on administrative reassignment after allegations that she punished 4-year-old autistic Julian Maldonado by locking him in a closet:

Jennifer Maldonado: "They had caught the teacher locking him inside of a storage closet. When he tantrum, when he was upset, not wanting to do the activities and he was put away."

Jennifer says the principal told her Julian's teacher Sharon Vaninger sent the boy to time-out in this storage closet after it was reported by a school staff member. The 10 by 10 space is filled with computer cables and school supplies.

Jennifer Maldonado: "It was not a time-out room. It was not a play room. Typically it looks like a server room it had internet cables and dangerous items within the closet."